Crating or packing means



C. A. CUMMINGS.

C RATING 0R PACKING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED APR-2.1921,

1 ,4 ()6,615, Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, H M IL l I /-3 PEI LII- I I u 7 I "511. I l

INVENTOR.

C. A. CUMMINGS. CRATING 0R PACKING MEANS.

1,406,615. APPLICATION FILED APILZ, 192x. Patented Feb. 14,

2 SHEETS$HEET- 2.

ig/57 217/6 6'0 min 5 x ATTORNEYS.

. crating, parts bein CHARLES ALLEN CUMMINGS, OF'BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOR TO BATTLE cnnnx BOX COMPANY, or BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

CRATIN'G OR PACKING- MEAIN'S.

' Application. filed'April 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ALLEN CUM- INGs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Battle Creek, county of Calhoun, and State ofMichigan, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Gratingor Packing Means, of which the following is a specification. V p

This invention relates to improvements incrating or packing means. I

The main objects of this invention areto provide an improved crating ora packing means by means of which articles of furniture are protected sothatthey are not likely to be injured in transportation.

Second. To provide an improved crating or packing means having theseadvantages, which is economical and may be quickly applied to or removedfrom apiece of furniture. V

Third. To provide an improved furniture crating or packing means whichis comparatively light in weight and well adapted to withstand theshocks and strains to which articles are likely; to be subjected intrans-. portation. j

Furtherfobjects and objects relating to structural details, willdefinitely appear from the.detaileddescription to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and meansdescribed in the following specification. The invention is clearlydefined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of myinvention is clearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification, in which V Fig.. I is a plan view of, the sidesv of acrate of the wir'ebound type such as I preferably employ.

Fig.,IIv is a plan view of one of the ends thereof.

Fig. III is a bottom view of my improved g broken away for conveniencein illustration.

Fig. IV is a bottom perspective view of one of the support members.

vFig. Visa detail section on a line cor-. responding to line 5-;5 ofFig; III.

line corresponding to line 6-6 of Figs. III and. .V. i

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout the bottom.

as these'cedar 19214 Serial No. 457,970.

Specification-0f Letters Patent." Patented F b; 14

several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in thedirection: of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

In the'structure I have illustrated Ifshow my improvements as embodied;by me for the packing of chests, as A, such as cedar chests. Thesechests are commonly of considerable dimensions and considerable expenseis involved in properly packing them for shipment,-and it has been foundto be quite a difiicult matter to pack them so that they would not shuckaround in the crate and thereby mar the finish. Y

I preferably employ a wire bound crate such as I have illustrated,comprising the bottom 1, top 2 and side walls 3, each consisting offrame bars with cross panels' secured thereto, and connected by thewires 4, as 1s a well known practice. 1 The side walls 5 are also formedof frame pieces and cross panels and these, when the crate is erected,are secured to the frame. pieces of the top and bottom by means ofnails'6 driventhrough the frame pieces of the side walls 5 into theframe pieces of the top and 'The wire bound crates are preferred by meon account of the rapidity with which they can be set up and also.because they are well adapted to withstand the shocks and strains towhich they are subjected in shipment.

extend'across the bottonrand are secured" thereto by nails or othersuitable means. On

these supports 7 are plates Swhich are securedto the .articleyoffurniture by means of the nails 9,, the nails beingof such lengththat'they do not fully penetrate the bottom, ,chests are intended to bemade moth tight.

The crate is offsuch dimensions that the article to be cratedissupported therein entirely out of contact with the walls thereof.Suspending wires or cables 10 are passed around the crateand thesupports, the wires being engaged in the grooves 11 of the supports sothat theycannotslip therefrom. Fig. VIis a detail transverse section ona The corner irons 12 are arranged over the corners of the article,sheets 1 8 ,of paraffin paper or other suitable materialbeing arrangedunder the, cornermembers so that they do not mar the article. Thesupports The chest A, or other articleof furniture, I

are recessed at lt to receive the turn-buckles 15 by means of which theWllGS'Ol cables 10 may be tightened so that the article is clamped tothe support and is suspended therefrom entirely out of contact with thewalls of the crate with the crate. in any position. With the articlethus supported with in the crate it cannot be injured by the rack,- ingof the crate and the crate being of the wire bound type, it will yieldwhen subjected to blows or shocks so that it is not likelyto be brokenopen by such strains or shocks or the contents injured. V

Further, it is not necessary to use excels1or or other packing materialto protect the article and the crates may be rapidly applied or removed,and with reasonable care may be used repeatedly.

WVhile I have illustrateda turn-buckle'tor drawing upthe wires, theother means for tensioning the wires, such as wire twisters, which arewell known in the wire bound box art, may be used. V

I have illustrated and described my improvements as l have embodied thesame for the crating of chests. My improvements may however be adaptedto a wide variety of articles, and it is believed that the disclosuresmade will enable those skilled in the art to which, my invention relatesto adapt or apply the same as may be desired.

1. The combination with the article to be crated, of a wire bound crateof such dimensions that the article may be supported within the crateentirely out of contact with the walls thereof, support members securedto the bottom of the articleand to one wall of the crate, the ends ofthe support members extending beyond the sides of the article, saidsupport members being recessed and grooved on their under sides, suspending wires passed around the article and around said support membersengaging'the grooves thGIBOffiSitlCl wires being under such stress as toclamp the article tosaid support members suspending it therefrom and outof contact with the walls of the crate with the crate in any position,the article being provided at its corners with angled guards over whichthe wires are passed, and turnbuckles for drawing up'the wires disposedin said recesses. i

2. The combination with the article to be crated, of a wire bound crateof such dimensions that the article may be supported within the crateentirely out of contact'with the walls thereoflsupport members securedto the bottom of the'article and tc'one wall of the crate,suspendingwires passed around hers, said wires being under such stressas to clamp the article to said support'members suspending it therefromand out of contact with. the walls of the crate with the crate in anyposition, the article being provided at its corners with angled guardsover which the wires are passed, andturn-buckles for drawing upthewires. 7

The combination with. the article to be crated, of awire bound crate ofsuch di- -mensions that the article may be supported within the crateentirely out of contactwith the walls thereof, support members securedto the bottom ofthe article and to the crate, the ends of the supportmembers extending beyond the sides of the article, said] supportmembers'being grooved on theirunder sides, and SHSP'GHClIIIg WIIQSpassed around the are ticle and around said supportmembers en-I gagingthe grooves thereof',sa1d wires belng under such stress as to clamp thearticle to saidsupport members suspending it therefrom and out ofcontact with the walls ofthe crate with the crate in any position. i

4. The combination with the article, to be crated, of a wire bound crateof sucli'dimensions that the article may be supported:

within the crate entirely out of contact with the walls thereof, supportmembers secured to the bottom of the article and to the crate, andsuspending wires passed around the article andaround said supportmembers, said 7 wires being under such stress as to clamp the berssecured to the article and to the crate, suspending cables passed aroundthe article and around said support members, saidcables being under suchstress astolclamp the article to said support members suspending ittherefrom and out of contact with the walls of the crate withthe cratein any posi tion,and means for drawing up the cables.

6. The combination of a crate of such dimensions that the article tobecrated may be supported within thecrate entirely out,

of contact with the walls thereof, support members secured to thearticle and to the crate, suspending cables passedar'ound therartlcleand around said. support members,

said cables being under such stress asto clampthe article to-saidsupport members suspending 1t therefrom and out of contact with thewalls of the crate with the crate in any position.

7. The combination'of a crate of such di'--' mensions that the articleto be crated may be j supported within the crate entirely out of thearticle and around said support mom-- contact with the walls thereof,support .mem

and around said support members, said cables being under. such stress'asto clamp.

the article to said support members'sus- In witness whereof, I havehereunto set pending it therefrom and out of contact with my hand andseal in the presence of two the walls of the crate with the crate in anyWitnesses.

position, the article being provided With CHARLES N CUMMINGS -1 5 guardsover which the cables are passed so Witnesses:

that the cables do not contact with the ar- CLAUDE L. CUMMINGS,

ticle. WV. H. TUCKER.

